Emily Stout - Homework

11.20.09

Franktown Elementary > Second Grade > Homework

All homework is due every Monday!

You can expect your child to have reading, math, and spelling homework every week. Sometimes there will be other special homework assignments that will come home as well, or there may be weeks that there is no math or spelling homework. All homework will come home in your child's homework folder on Tuesday, and it will be due the following Monday.

This means your child has 7 days to complete it -- more than he/she should need. We typically expect second graders to do 20 minutes of homework in a night (third graders would be expected to do 30 minutes, etc.). But, of course, each child is different, so the homework schedule is flexible to allow you and your child to find a routine that works for you. I know how busy your family schedule can be with soccer practice, piano lessons, etc., so it's up to you to help your child create a homework schedule that fits into your lives.

PLEASE DO NOT LET YOUR CHILD WAIT UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT TO DO THE HOMEWORK THAT IS DUE ON MONDAY! The amount of homework your child receives is not a lot for a whole week, but it is WAY too much for a second grader to do in one night! And of course, we know it happens when things get crazy, but please help your child develop a routine that will help avoid this situation -- I promise it will be worth it for your sanity as well as your child's! We use our planners on a daily basis, so it might be helpful to write which day your child will work on each homework assignment throughout the week.

Thanks for your support in helping our second graders build responsibility!

Weekly Reading Homework:

Read 4 times a week and record in your child's planner
Daily Language Monday - Friday (In the yellow book)

Weekly Math Homework:

Daily Math problems Monday - Friday (in the red book)
Math homework pages will come home occasionally as well

Weekly Spelling Homework:

A Spelling Take - Home Task (different for each unit) and word study strategy page

Spelling Tic Tac Toe

Remember -- your child's spelling words will be recorded in his or her planner.

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The Homework Philosophy

For the past few years, our school (and district) have really focused on using research from Marzano's strategies in Classroom Instruction That Works. According to Marzano et al. (2001) homework in the elementary grades doesn't effect student achievement in the same way it does in high school. However, Marzano et al. (2001) emphasizes the importance of students from at least 2nd grade and up doing some homework in order to create a routine in which students take responsibility for doing their homework, practicing what has already been taught, and elaborating on learning. By creating a homework routine, when students do get older and the homework becomes more complex, they will have the tools they need to help them be more successful learners.

In the younger grades, homework should be something that the students are already familiar with, and they should get very little help from parents. Of course children will need parent help with setting up a routine for where and when they will do their homework, as well as answering questions about directions, but the content of the homework should be done by the students. This will help avoid struggles at home so homework doesn't become a fight. That only causes negative feelings about school both at home and at school (p. 60 - 63). So, the homework your child will get should be something that they may say is "easy" and hopefully fun! That will help him/her practice skills correctly, independently, and successfully at home.